Restaurant Review: Gio in Evanston

On a stormy Saturday evening in downtown Evanston, my boyfriend's family and I braved the powerful downpours to dine at an upper-scale Italian restaurant called Gio, located at 1631 Chicago Ave.

Upon arrival, Gio was completely empty and quiet. I was a bit worried, considering it was early-evening on a Saturday night. Was this a bad choice? Is this a "no-no" place for Evanston locals? I then remembered the storm outside and assumed that was the reason.

My party let the staff know that we made a reservation, not that being seated would be a problem considering there was nobody dining, but the staff didn't see the humor in our asking. Soaking wet from the rain, we asked the courteous staff if they had a coat rack and they promptly took our jackets in back. Without delay, we were seated by our waiter Abraham. Abraham supplied me with humor throughout the night as he was obviously a new employee trying to get everything down correctly. The best part was at the beginning of our dining experience when he carefully approached my party, like an abused kitten, asking if we would like to hear the specials. Alright, maybe that's kind of sad.

We were served bread and a delicious side of sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and olive oil, similar to Tapenade, upon being seated. The menu was a typical Italian menu, comprised of hard to pronounce salads, pastas, pizzas, and meat dishes. The pizza menu was quite extensive, ranging from a margherita pizza (Clasico) to a wheat flatbread with sweet sausage, carmelized onions, and mozzerella cheese (the Bobi). Although we didn't order any drinks, their wine list was extensive for Evanston. After looking through the simple but exciting menu, I decided to split the Bobi and a Rigatoni pasta with sausage and parmesan cheese with my partner. For starters, we decided on two orders of the classic Italian appetizer Bruschetta.

The Bruschetta came out five minutes after we placed the order. Abraham asked if we would like pepper on the dish; I told him, "on just one, please." He took it that I wanted pepper on the whole dish, when I meant on just one of the three pieces. Thankfully, my partner did not mind.

The Bruschetta itself was outstanding, one of the best I have had. It was prepared exquisitely with fresh parmesan, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinaigrette. Each ingredient complemented the next without being overbearing. The four in my party agreed that it was an excellent appetizer.

Our main courses were served at a reasonable thirty minutes after we ordered. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the two dishes were nearly identical in different forms. Although tasty, the pasta seemed a bit dry with not enough sauce, while the pizza was a bit undercooked but proved to be a better, safer choice than the pasta. Truthfully, I would have rather had the free bread and Tapenade as an entree. That would have been even more satisfying. Nevertheless, Abraham checked on us frequently enough to let us know we were valued and in good hands.

Gio was a fine place to dine on a cold, stormy night. Abraham was attentive, the runners were punctual on water refills without being annoying and intrusive, and the food was good, if not a little below average. More parties came in to Gio during our meal until the restaurant was completely filled, reassuring me that the on-and-off storm was to blame for the lack of customers. Gio's table spacing and spot-on blend of traditional and contemporary Italian decor led for an intimate yet lounge-y atmostphere, with the nujazz musical selection complementing the somewhat celebratory, chill atmosphere.

I would certainly try Gio again by ordering something more exciting like the Seafood Ravioli and the Calamari. The experience may have been tainted by the stormy walk to the restaurant, which led to my clothes being completely soaked, a sure sign that the evening was going to be uncomfortable.